Where You Are
by hardshocker2
Summary: Even when things feel terrible or maybe hopeless there is always a small moment that allows you to help you push through it. (A small one-shot ramble that happened while working on something different that was banged out without too much effort. Only posted so it wouldn't just sit on my computer.)
1. Chapter 1

The library was quiet. It was enjoyable in its own way. In others, it was lonely for Blake. For a school, not many people actually came into the library to do much more than print something on the computers. Blake used it as a place to be away from the extra stimulation the crowds of students created.

She wasn't afraid of them but she definitely had an inclination to avoid such things. There was something about her brain that just didn't work with them. Barely anyone knew her and she didn't know them. No connections to be made. Even her parents noticed this problem. Something was wrong with her. Something broken. Blake felt they were right about her. She just wanted to escape from those judgements, even if it was just for a little while. Books helped with that wish. There was also one other thing that did help.

A shadow appeared over her and her book. "Hey, Blakey!" A voice said as hands reached over the back of the library's couch and over her shoulders. As they snaked their way down her arms she could feel the tendrils of body heat reaching out for her. Blake leaned back into the warmth, feeling little tickles of hair against her cheek. It was like a switch in her head when this happened. It flipped and told Blake she was safe. Someone she could trust.

"Hey, Yang," Blake said, knowing she didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"I missed you, Blakey..." Yang said as she gently rested her chin on Blakes shoulder.

Blake resisted the urge to smile too much. "You always miss me. It's only been a day."

Yang chuckled to herself. "I know…" She said quietly. Her hands continued along my arms until they reached the ribbons. Blake's heart beat harder as she remembered which ones she put on today. Yang gently lifted Blake's hands from her book to inspect them. The feeling of safety Blake felt with Yang waned slightly until she forced herself to remember that Yang wouldn't judge her. She waited for the Blonde's response.

"One of your ribbons are red again…" Yang pointed out.

Blake wanted to run. "I'm sorry…" she said immediately.

Yang's thumb circled the red fabric on Blake's wrist. "It's okay. It was my idea in the first place. It isn't bad, is it?"

Blake swallowed before speaking. "It's not the worst…" She let those words hang in the air for Yang to interpret. It had hurt but it wasn't a lie that it wasn't the worst. Yang didn't want Blake lying to her and Blake didn't like lying to Yang anyway.

Yang's hands moved up to Blake's and intertwined together. Blake's arms were pulled to together as Yang wrapped her arms around Blake in a moment of affection that was rare between them in public. "I don't want you to hurt, Blake…" Yang whispered in Blake's ear.

"I know," Blake whispered back. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Blake had to say something. "We're still at school, Yang…" She tried to remind Yang.

Yang squeezed some more. "No one is here."

"I thought you didn't want people to know yet?" I asked.

Yang loosened up her hold. "I know, I know… It's just getting harder to hide sometimes." Yang stayed silent for a little bit longer before she completely let go. "I have to go. Ruby was excited to talk about something earlier and I told her I'd meet her at lunch."

Blake laughed a little. "You probably should go then. I know how she is when she's excited about something."

Yang hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? Ruby likes talking with you about books and stuff," She asked.

"I'm sure, Yang," Blake said quickly.

"Okay.." Yang said before finally leaving the library, leaving Blake alone to read to herself.

She almost regretted saying no to Yang's invitation. The warmth she provided was sorely missed. Now she was just left alone with her thoughts. Maybe she should have went with Yang. She did like Ruby. That girl always managed to get Blake to open up whether I wanted to or not. Actually, that whole family had some kind of magic to them. It was a wonder how Yang decided to waste her time with Blake. There were girls out there who would be perfectly capable of keeping up with Yang's upbeat pace. One day maybe Blake would figure it out, but she guessed that enjoying the safety Yang brought along with her wasn't all that bad.

* * *

This comforter was Blake's favorite. It was bigger than any Blake had ever seen being sold and could probably keep her warm while outside in a blizzard. But even if that didn't do the job, the blond girl clinging to her side would probably do the trick just fine. Even now, Yang's body was putting out enough heat to make Blake sweat. She didn't mind though. Attention and affection was rare for Blake to receive and now it was spilling onto her in spades. It was probably going to be like this all night.

"I'm glad you came over tonight," Yang admitted. "I think my dad likes having you here."

"That's good," Blake said. "Especially considering you didn't let him know before hand."

Yang laughed. "True. You did look happy at dinner though. I think that's my favorite part."

Yang wasn't lying. Blake definitely felt happier when she was with this family of hyperactive people. Endless jokes from Yang's dad, Yang bragging about her recent test scores, and even Ruby was happily chatting about some girl she was trying to be friends with. Not everything was solved but Blake was glad to have found them, or in reality, that Yang found Blake.

"Yang?" Blake asked.

"Hm?" Yang responded, lifting her head to look at Blake.

Blake tried her best smile. "I think, right now, I am happy."

Yang's smile was the brightest Blake had ever seen and it was on full display now. The blond lifted herself up a bit and leaned in towards Blake. Her eyes closed and felt soft lips on her own. It felt like it lasted minutes until Yang pulled away with her face turned extremely red. Blake kind of enjoyed that image in her own way but it was gone when Yang realised Blake was staring at her and hid her face into the crook of Blake's neck.

They stayed like this for a long time. Just enjoying their moments together. Blake even started running her hand through Yang's hair while the embarrassed girl continued to hide. The red ribbon she wore contrasted with Yang's hair. The sight made Blake feel guilty about making Yang sad earlier today. Unfortunately, not everything could be fixed with their hidden moments alone and short bursts of happiness. Her problems weren't important to her though right now.

"Do you think you're going to tell them soon?" Blake asked knowing full well that Yang would know what she meant.

Yang left her hiding spot. "I want to, really badly. I know they wouldn't judge me at all and stuff, but it's like my brain wants to fight me every time I consider it," she explained. "I want it to be soon though…"

"When you do, I can be there to back you up," Blake offered.

Yang looked almost surprised by Blake's offer. "Are you sure? I mean, I would love for you to be there but you don't have to if you don't want to…"

Blake tried her best supportive smile. "Why wouldn't I be there? I am your girlfriend, after all."

Yang's faced returned to its over blushed state and proceeded to hide again. "I'm so not used to hearing that…" Yang mumbled from her spot. Blake almost couldn't hear it.

They stayed like that as long as they wanted. It was the weekend and neither of them had anywhere to be the next day. Blake had already let her parents know that she was staying at Yang's tonight so they didn't have to be interrupted. In fact, Yang apparently accounted for this as her snores started slipping out from Blake's hair. It was a moment Blake enjoyed despite the slightly uncomfortable sleeping position.

"Yang?" A more chipper voice called after a while of them laying there. Yang's door crept open and Ruby's face poked through. "I wanted to ask abou… oh!"

I chuckled at Ruby's face. "She's asleep," I explained.

Ruby recovered and started to smile before nodding her head. Without any questions, she left and closed the door behind her. Blake was pretty sure that Yang was in good hands for whenever she decided to be honest with her family. Maybe things can get better but right now, she just wanted to enjoy this slice of easy happiness. Mostly because there was that ever present itch in the back of her head that it may not last forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake kept staring at her computer. There were many documents that sat there from her tons of attempts at writing anything meaningful. She didn't really want to be a writer but the idea of putting something down as written word that meant something had always been stuck in her head. Nothing on that screen was meant to be anything big and she never put a ton of effort into anything. Nothing except one document.

It sat within the mess of other documents without anything to give it away. Blake had reread it hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Since the day she wrote it, it was like a ghost haunting her wherever she went. Especially on days where she just couldn't get herself to care about much. Eventually it got to the point where Blake could recite that note to herself word for word without pause. It was surprising to her when she thought about it one day in class. She even nearly laughed out loud when she realized that fact. The only thing that stopped her was the potential of everyone looking at her like she was crazy.

There was a bit of comfort from that document. It was there and gave proof of what Blake was thinking as she waded through week after week of her life. It was always there for her. Even if it was only some words on a bright screen in a dark room it was still there. She could still read it and make her feel grounded to reality.

Blake sighed to herself. A small part of her hated the feelings it dredged up from the back of her mind. Another part almost felt like she craved it. Even as she let a finger slide down her wrist, over the gentle bumps that raised her skin, she was reminded of a desire that ate at her. It was something she felt she needed to be ashamed of. She even actually was ashamed at some point. Then Yang happened.

Blake would read stories of how someone would enter your life like a new shining sun. They would make everything brighter and better instantly. Their sadness would quickly subside as they lived a happy life with that person. Those were just stories though. Yang wasn't some fix-all problem to make Blake happy no matter what happened. Blake didn't have a smile plastered to her face every time she saw her girlfriend or anything like that. Instead, Yang was like those small fairy lights that some people would hang up in their small bedrooms to make it not seem so confining. Yang wasn't the solution to her problems, but she definitely kept them at bay as they would hold each other and simply talk through their days. If they weren't together at the moment then it would be like if those comforting lights turned off, but the feeling of the dark was different. Blake found comfort in knowing that, like the flip of a light switch to turn them back on, she could call or even go see Yang to feel at home yet again.

Even now, all of those thoughts alone was enough to make Blake feel a bit better. Granted, the only sure fire way to keep that feeling going was to go and… The sound of Blake's phone right next to her hand on her mouse broke her thoughts immediately. Almost like she could read Blake's thoughts, Yang had decided to call. Blake was just thankful that no one could see the small smile her face held or the lack of hesitation when trying to grab her phone. One click and she knew she was connected to her girlfriend. "Yang?" She asked.

"Hey, Blakey!" Yang said excitedly as usual. "What are you up to?"

Blake wanted to roll her eyes at that question. "You always know my answer, Yang. I'm at home in my dark room, staring at a computer screen."

"Aww," Yang replied. "Not going to turn a light on then?"

"Probably not." Blake playfully replied.

"Even if I asked you super nicely? I know I want to just chill out in the dark every now and then but you're always doing that." Yang pointed out. "It can't be healthy to do that."

Blake had already heard these kinds of things before but she never understood the reasoning. "People tell me that but I've always felt a bit more comfortable with the lights dimmed or off."

"I know, I know." Yang said. "I'm just a worry wart, blah blah blah.."

Blake giggled. "It's really sweet that you do worry, Yang." She admitted.

"I'm glad you think that. Ruby always gets annoyed when I go into 'Big Sister' mode." Yang said.

"Isn't she supposed to get annoyed when you do, though?" Blake asked. "I thought that was just the norm' between sisters?"

Yang's sigh could be heard clearly through the phone. "I guess. I'm just worried about her growing up and such."

"She's only one grade under us, Yang. She's probably already as grown as we are." Blake pointed out.

"No, no, no!" Yang said quickly and loudly into Blake's ear. "She's got to always be my little baby sister! She needs my guidance to make it through teenage life."

Blake wanted to laugh. "I think Weiss is already helping with that from what you've told me."

"They're probably making out or something as we speak…" Yang grumbled. "Ruby is never here anymore. After school, she goes to Weiss' house. When it should be time to come home, she just tells us that she's staying over there for the night. I'm pretty sure she's only been home for maybe two hours total this week so far…"

"To be fair, Yang…" Blake started. "I've spent quite a bit of time at your house rather than my own too."

"Well yeah.." Yang admitted. "But you have reasons for that! Ruby, on the other hand, doesn't have any reasons to want to avoid us!"

Blake felt the rare need to comfort her girlfriend. "Maybe that's not it. Maybe she just really likes being with Weiss?"

"Maybe.." Was all Yang said about that idea. "Well, what about you then?" Yang asked, quickly rebounding herself. "Do you like it over here more than being in your dark room all day?"

"Anytime I'm talking to you or with you, I feel a little bit brighter no matter the environment." Blake said. It was something she had wanted to say to Yang for a long time now. It was the truth and Blake didn't want to hide too much from Yang.

Yang was even silent for a few seconds after that. "Jeez, Blake…" Yang said, her voice taking on the quiet, shy tone that Blake loved. "We've been dating for like a year and I'm still not used to when you talk like that."

"You make me happy." Blake said. "And I like to express that to you when I can.."

"I know, Blakey.."

There was a silence between them for a little bit before a thought crossed Blake's mind. "Hey, Yang?"

"Yea?"

"Why did you call in the first place?" Blake asked.

"Well…" Yang's shyness was showing again. "I just kinda wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed in a bit.." Blake's heart almost short circuited for a second. "You come over so often and stay the night so much that I've kinda gotten used to you being here when I'm going to sleep."

Blake's smile could only get so wide. "Sometimes you're more adorable than Ruby." Blake teased.

"Blaaaake!" Yang whined.

"Okay, okay, Yang." Blake said, then had an idea. "How about I read stuff while you go to sleep?"

She could almost hear the gears turning in Yang's head. "Would you actually do that for me?" Yang asked finally.

"Why wouldn't I? It'd give me something to do instead of just browsing the web. Plus, a reason to read my books at home instead of saving them for school." Blake explained.

"Well, if you're fine with it then I'd love it if you did…" Yang said quietly.

Blake chuckled to herself. "Okay, let me grab a book real fast." Blake said. She reached up to a shelf above her monitor and pulled off a book that she was only half way through. As she opened it and placed it in front of her so she could read it in the monitor light, her eyes wandered back to what was on the monitor itself. She frowned for a second and closed out of the document so all there was just its listing in a sea of other documents. Blake could unfortunately still see it in the list as, "Snote- Last modified, 2 years ago." Despite everything that's changed, she just couldn't bring herself to delete it yet.

She just shook it off and put her attention back to Yang and the book. "Okay, I've got one to read. You ready, Yang?" Blake asked.

"Totally, Blakey!" Yang excitedly replied. "I'm bundled up in my covers and everything."

"I'm a little jealous." Blake said. "You know I love your covers."

Yang laughed. "Well next time you come over, I'll make sure to fluff them up and warm 'em up in the dryer so they'll be perfect for you!"

Blake's smile was easily back. "I'll hold you to that, Yang. You know that."

"Oh I know!" Yang said while laughing. "I keep my promises. Especially if they involve you…"

"I know, Yang…" Blake softly confirmed before firing back up to read. "Okay. I'm starting at chapter four so you might not know what's going on for a few pages." Blake warned.

"That's fine." Yang said. At that confirmation, Blake began to read out loud. Yang would ask questions about the story at first but Blake could tell when she started to get sleepy. Her comments slowed down and were occasionally punctuated with small yawns. Every now and then Blake would stop reading and wait a second to see if Yang was fully asleep only to hear Yang tell her she was still, barely, awake. Blake would simply keep going and that process repeated until Blake stopped one last time and could only hear Yang's soft snoring.

She placed a bookmark into the book and closed it. Blake figured now was finally a good time for her to also go to bed so she turned her monitor off and picked her phone up. "Goodnight, Yang." Blake said softly so the girl wouldn't wake up accidentally. "Love you." Reluctantly, Blake ended the call and got into bed, letting that warm feeling she had left over from her call with Yang lull her to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Blake wasn't entirely comfortable right now. She was sitting at a lunch table in a cafeteria during lunch time. It wasn't something she had never done before but she greatly preferred the relative quiet the library provided for her along with a severe lack of crowds. Thankfully though, Yang was right next to her to help her feel safe. Their legs were slightly touching so Blake had more to ground herself and not be so nervous.

It wasn't just them two though. Along with Yang, Ruby was here chatting up a storm about her last class and complaining about a test that was apparently happening at the end of the week. Blake really liked Ruby. Despite her abundant energy that would normally chase Blake away, Ruby somehow was able to make her feel at home. It was most likely something inside the shared genes between the two sisters. Either way, Blake wasn't complaining.

Attached to Ruby's side was Weiss as Blake had learned from the many times Ruby had said her name in only a few minutes. From what Yang had told Blake, those two had gotten extremely close suddenly one day and were almost inseparable since then. Blake instantly knew what Yang was complaining about. Not once since they all had sat down had Ruby or Weiss refrained from having some sort of physical contact with each other. Ruby spent a lot of time leaning on Weiss or not so secretly holding her hand under the table. It had the potential to be sickening if Blake didn't get a tiny bit of amusement seeing Yang wrestle between being happy for her sister and annoyed at how openly they were flirting with each other.

"Are you, Blake?" Blake snapped back from her thoughts. Ruby was looking right at her, expecting an answer to a question that Blake didn't hear.

"Hm?" Blake answered.

"I was asking if you were coming over to our house tonight." Ruby said.

Blake shook her head. "No. I've been over too many times this week. I feel like I should spend at least one night at my own house every now and then."

Ruby laughed. "True, I guess. Though I can't say anything since I'm always at Weiss' house nowadays."

Yang pointed her fork at her sister. "If you keep it up you're going to start annoying her parents. I've seen how much you can eat and I'm sure they would get tired of having to feed you every night."

"Joke's on you, Yang!" Ruby started. "Her parents aren't really there, like, ninety percent of the time so it's usually just me and Weiss."

"What?" Yang said with legitimate surprise. "So you two are just home alone?" Yang looked at Weiss. "Is that true?"

"Ruby isn't really lying." Weiss confirmed. "I don't see the problem in it"

Yang was seemingly rubbed the wrong way about that fact, no doubt increasing her anxiety about Weiss' sudden closeness with Ruby. She let it go though which Blake was happy to see. It showed that Yang was listening to Blake's plea to put some time into taking care of herself rather than worrying up a storm about everything and everyone that wasn't Yang. Blake slowly slid her hand into Yang's under the table to help the blond relax. The way Yang softly squeezed her hand in response was enough for Blake to look over and see the shy smile showing on Yang's face. But then some random student walked by which made Yang pull her hand away. That really hurt Blake's heart. She knew why but it didn't make her feel better.

Despite that problem they managed to make it through lunch without any more of those little problems. Weiss had left a few minutes early from the table to talk to a teacher about something which left Yang and Ruby to bicker back and forth while Blake sat to the side and finished her food quietly. The bell interrupted the sisters though and made them start shoveling their leftovers into their mouths. Blake even attempted to indulge herself by going to wipe a tiny bit of mashed potatoes off Yang's cheek. Yang attempted to pull her face away but relented when Blake grabbed her chin to keep her still.

"Blaaaake…" Yang whispered while Blake double checked her girlfriend's face. "Ruby is right there."

"It's fine, Yang. Plus, you were the one who wanted me to come to lunch with everyone for once." Blake told her while finally letting Yang go so she could throw away everyone's trays. Blake sighed and turned back towards Ruby who had her stuff already packed and ready to go. Blake simply followed Ruby's lead and started gathering her's and Yang's things.

She was interrupted though. "Blake?" Ruby said.

Blake looked up to the younger girl. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you after school today?" Ruby asked. "Without Yang or Weiss around?"

Blake thought that extra condition was a bit weird but she saw that Ruby was looking a little anxious herself by simply asking that. "Sure. What about?"

Ruby looked to the side which made Blake do the same. They both saw Yang already on her way back to the table. "I'll tell you after school. Just us, okay?" Ruby clarified.

"Got it." Blake confirmed.

"Woo! Who's ready for more school?" Yang asked out loud, finally arriving back at the table and slinging her backpack over her shoulder." Blake grabbed her own bag while rolling her eyes and started walking off to her own classes. "Blake?" She heard Yang ask out loud but kept walking. Blake's mood had dropped considerably by the end of lunch and she really just didn't feel very social anymore. Blake only came to the cafeteria instead of the library for Yang's sake, after all.

* * *

Blake looked up from her book to glance at the clock on the wall. It was a few minutes until the final period was over and everyone was free to go home. She had finished this class' work early and was killing the time with her book that she didn't get a chance to read at lunch like she usually would. It wasn't too big of a deal though. There were always chances and small amounts of free time to read besides lunch time. Plus, that time was spent with Yang even if it had a touch of disappointment due to their situation. Was it so wrong that one of the few things Blake found a bit of happiness and joy out of was so important to her? Just one day where everything felt like things would be okay? Why couldn't she just…

Blake took a breath. She was spiraling again. It wouldn't do any good to have that happen in the middle of her class. She could go home soon. She could be comfortable and safe, away from all of these potentially prying eyes.

The bell finally rang and relieved the pressure Blake was feeling. The day wasn't over though because she could see that Ruby had somehow managed to sneak her way outside of Blake's classroom early. What confused Blake though, was how did Ruby know which class Blake was even in? She was curious but Ruby was waiting with a thoughtful look on her face so Blake figured it would be a good idea to let it go for now.

As Blake walked up Ruby started to smile even if only a little. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Blake asked.

Ruby shook her head. "I want to go somewhere else first before I say much."

Ruby turned and started walking, presumably to somewhere private. Blake followed along behind the girl. Ruby was shorter yet Blake had to move her legs faster than normal to keep up with her. After a few turns and being led outside, Ruby led Blake to some secluded little cutout on the side of the school building that even Blake didn't know about. In fact, she rarely ever came this way now that she thought about it. Ruby grabbed Blake's arm and pulled her deep into the cutout to where no one would even think to look over here and find us.

"This is one heck of a hideaway." Blake said.

Ruby laughed nervously from the deepest corner. "Yeah.. I found it one day and would use it to get away from everyone when I wasn't feeling so good." Ruby explained. "Believe it or not, I'm not always so excited to talk and be around people."

"I believe it." Blake replied. "There are times where even the happiest people need a break."

"True, I guess." Ruby said.

They were both silent for a few seconds, but that was broken when Blake's phone alerted her to a text. She pulled it out real fast to see what it was. Not many people texted her so it was most likely her parents or.. Yang it seemed..

" Hey, I couldn't find you where we normally meet up after class. Everything good?" Yang had said. Blake felt a little guilty that she hadn't told Yang about meeting her sister instead but wanted to respect Ruby's request for privacy.

"I'm okay, Yang. I just needed to talk to one of my teachers before going home. You can go on ahead since I'm not coming over tonight." Blake replied.

It didn't take long for Blake to see Yang's response. "No problem. Hey, I'm sorry about lunch. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." Blake's heart fell. She had made Yang upset.

"I'm okay, Yang. I know how it is for you right now and I didn't think about what I was doing. I'll talk to you later tonight." Blake typed out. That was nearly all she sent but she sent a quick, " I love you, " to finish out the message.

Ruby was looking at her as she put her phone back into her pocket. "Was that Yang?" She asked.

Blake nodded. "She was asking about if I was meeting her after school today."

"And?" Ruby asked with a small amount of worry.

"Don't worry." Blake started. "I didn't tell her I was meeting you. Just that it was okay for her to go ahead and start going home without me."

Ruby relaxed a bit. "Okay, cool." Ruby said mostly to herself. "So.."

"So?" Blake questioned.

"Well, I think I've kind of guessed it already but, you guys are, like, going out, right?" Ruby asked.

Blake glared a bit at Ruby. "Why? Is that what this is about?" She asked.

Ruby shrugged her shoulders and avoided Blake's eyes. "No? Yes? Kinda, maybe?" Ruby said quickly. "I might have accidentally saw you guys making out on our couch the other day so I assumed…"

"Oh.." Blake said.

Ruby laughed. "That was the same thing Weiss said when I told her about it."

Blake panicked. "Weiss knows? Why did you tell her? If it gets around and Yang finds out that she got outed…"

"Weiss isn't going to tell anyone, Blake!" Ruby said in an attempt to pacify Blake's worry.

Blake wasn't finished though. "How do I know she won't? Why did you even tell her?" Blake asked.

Ruby seemed almost mad about that question. "Because I trust her and.. We agreed to talk to each other about these kinds of things…"

"So you gossip with her about other people including your own sister." Blake accused.

"No!" Ruby said, her frustration showing through more and more. "I only told her because it made me think about doing that with her!" Ruby almost shouted that last sentence but she quickly realized what she said and threw her head back with a groan. "Dammit!"

Blake was a bit confused now. "Sooo, you want to date Weiss?" Ruby dropped and nodded her head silently. "What does this have to do with me then? Why not ask Yang since you know about her already?"

"I know Yang doesn't really like Weiss all that much right now." Ruby explained. "She puts up with Weiss but I can see that she isn't really all that thrilled to see me be with Weiss so much. I don't she'd be all that happy to have me ask her about how to, you know, date her…"

Blake had to agree with Ruby. There were many instances where she would listen to Yang's worries about Ruby and Weiss spending so much time together. Though, Blake wasn't sure about how she herself could help Ruby with such a problem. "Why would me and Yang making out change things so suddenly?" Blake asked.

Ruby took a breath before speaking. "Because before that, I thought you and Yang were like me and Weiss."

"As in?" Blake asked for clarification.

"That you guys were just extra, extra, extra, close!" Ruby said. "I thought you guys were like me and Weiss. Since I've seen you guys hold hands and cuddle up with each other all the time."

Blake mentally slapped herself at apparently her and Yang were being around Ruby. "You and Weiss do all of that kind of stuff but aren't going out?" Blake asked.

Ruby had finally realized what she had admitted. "Umm, ha, yea…" Ruby was now being a little bashful about it. "Something happened way back and we just sorta started just being real close with each other. We always spend time at her house together, cuddling on her couch or holding hands while she reads and I do my work." Ruby began. "The weekend that Yang went to go see her mother, I went over there and we ended up agreeing to be honest about our feelings with each other and we've been super close all the time. Hell, if I'm having a real bad day, you'd probably find me and Weiss right here with her holding me to make me feel better."

Blake almost didn't believe Ruby but the younger girl was being super quiet and shy each time she brought up something intimate between the two. "You two are that close… but aren't actually dating?" Blake asked, clearly confused.

"Yea, I know. I did think it was weird for a bit but she made me feel so comfortable and safe every time she would pull me into a hug or wrap us together in a big blanket when it got cold at night that I just stopped caring because I knew she wouldn't hurt me…" Ruby admitted.

Blake felt herself start to smile while Ruby talked. She knew exactly what Ruby meant because Yang did the exact same thing for Blake. That one person who could make almost any location safe and let her be whoever she wanted to be. "Ruby…" Blake started. "You said you tell Weiss everything. Why don't you tell her that?"

Ruby shrugged. "I'm kinda scared that she won't think the same. That she'll want to stop everything."

"It sounds like she already feels the same way you do, Ruby. Just tell her what you told me and I'm sure it'll work out." Blake said. "If she trusts you as much you trust her, then it'll only get worse if neither of you say anything."

Ruby looked at Blake and finally smiled for real. "You're probably right, Blake.." Ruby shook her arms out and took a couple of breaths. "I'll do it then. I'll talk to her tonight."

"That's good." Blake was happy that Yang's sister was back to feeling better about her situation. She didn't realize how much of the kindness that Yang held was apparently a part of Ruby. While she was glad to see it, it only made her yearn for the real source. Blake pulled her phone out and typed out a quick message. " I changed my mind. I want to be with you tonight. " Blake pocketed her phone and gave a smile to Ruby. "I think I'm going to go home in your place."

* * *

Yang was being extra clingy tonight. Blake would have felt suffocated if she wasn't enjoying it so much. Though there was that underlying guilt of what had happened earlier in the day.

"What made you change your mind?" Yang asked with her face buried into Blake's hair.

Blake smiled to herself. "I ran into your sister after school and talked with her a bit."

"That's it?" Yang pulled herself back enough to look at Blake with a confused face. "Nothing else happened?"

Blake shook her head. "No. Though I guess she kinda reminded me of why I love you so much." Blake said in a matter of fact tone. Yang didn't reply though. Probably because she went back to hiding against Blake's neck. Blake could even feel the heat from Yang's, most likely blushing, cheeks.

"I love you too.." Blake heard Yang say along with a light squeeze around her body from Yang's arms. "I know I can be bad at showing it enough, but you do also make me happy."

Blake couldn't resist the pull on her heart that Yang created. "Yang…"

"Yeah?" Yang asked.

"Please just kiss me."


	4. Chapter 4

**TW for Self-harm.**

* * *

Blake wasn't feeling into it today. She was tired, the whole entire school was annoying her, and her arm wouldn't stop aching and itching no matter how much she scratched through her sleeve. It kept distracting her mind from her book as she read in the library. In fact, she had already reread the same page at least three times by this point. After the fourth attempt Blake finally relented and looked at her arm. The sleeve on her hoodie had a bit of red poking through the grey material. Her brain lit up and pulled it down without thinking about where she was to inspect her arm.

A dark red, scabbed line, surrounded by dark bruising was prominent on her arm. Somewhere along the way through her school day, Blake had opened it back up with her scratching and had bleed enough to go through her hoodie. A nearly silent curse escaped her mouth because she knew she would have to find a new way to cover it now. It wouldn't be very hidden if her sleeves had blood on them.

By the time she made it to a bathroom, the blood had completely soaked through and made a huge, noticeable blotch on her sleeve. Blake ripped her hoodie off and shoved it into her bag, hoping that no one would walk in on her while she cleaned her arm. It was taking a long time though. It was like it refused to stop bleeding despite being covered and having pressure put on it. The second Blake lifted her hand it would continue bleeding which would just get washed down the sink.

Blake was panicking now. She had nothing on hand that could help stop or hide her injury. Nothing in her backpack had a chance of helping and now the irritating itch caused by the cut began developing into a noticeable ache. Between having to wash the blood away as it showed up and having to figure what she was supposed to do just made it worse and worse. "Why won't it stop?" Blake asked herself over and over. An answer escaped her completely along with her ability to think clearly when the ache finally made its way into a mind-numbing throb. Ten minutes of the pain eventually forced Blake to lay on the floor and clutch her arm in desperation. "Stop, stop, stop… please stop.." She whispered to herself over and over. Blake didn't know what to do. Her arm and the hand that grasped at it was stained in blood. "I can't…"

The bathroom door opened. Blake lifted her head in hopes that whoever came along could do something to help her. It was her literature teacher that always had nice things to say about Blake's writing. "Miss Palestone!" Blake called out loud. A new throb of pain threatened to force Blake's mouth closed.

"Oh, Blake!" Her teacher replied, looking down at Blake's huddled body with a smile. "I just came in to wash my hands from lunch." She explained. "I hope you finished your paper to turn in next period."

Blake was so confused at what was happening. The way her own teacher was able to look down at her and smile while she writhed on the floor of a school bathroom. "Miss Palestone? I need help.. my arm.." She tried.

But it didn't work. Instead of helping, Miss Palestone simply washed her hands. "Sorry but I can't stop to chat or give you tips on your homework." Then she started to dry her hands. "I've got to set up the classroom before everyone shows up and also finish looking over some turned in assignments." She started walking out the door. "Have a nice day, dear." And then her teacher was gone, leaving Blake to continue enduring the pain. Blake couldn't believe it herself. Did her teacher not see what was going on? Another throb ran through her arm, pushing her disbelief out of her mind. Her phone!

She couldn't believe she had forgotten it. Though she never used it that much in the first place. Through each shot of pain that now was spreading from her arm to the rest of her body, Blake managed to reach her pocket and pull her phone free. The struggle to get it unlocked and her mother's number dialed took many agonizing minutes. No one answered though. It just rang and rang until the voicemail asked for a message. Blake dropped her phone and her body was racked with a large wave of pain. "What did I do?" Blake asked herself. "Why won't it stop.." She kept on muttering to herself even as the school bell rang and students started flooding the halls and even the bathroom she was in. No one paid her any attention though. They instead would just step over her or even on her to get to the sink she was most likely in the way of. Their footsteps were marked as they stepped through the blood that had come from Blake's own body. At this point, Blake wasn't even trying to get someone to help and let them go on while her body started to grow colder and colder. She was dying. It was only just a matter of time. If she just closed her eyes…

* * *

Blake shot her eyes open. Where was she? It was too dark besides the glow of… her computer screen sitting on her desk. Her breathing was hard and labored, like her chest was being sat on and pinned to the bed. She kicked at her covers in panic trying to escape anything that made her feel trapped. A thump on the floor got her attention. Blake quickly rolled to see what the sound was and saw her phone. It must have fallen off her bed when getting her covers off, though that revelation didn't do anything to stop her panicked state. Only one idea came to mind. Blake reached for her phone and dialed the only other important number she knew.

More anxiety tried to eat at Blake as it rang. Once, twice, three times… but then she answered. "Blake...?" Yang's sleepy voice filled Blake's ear.

"Talk to me, Yang." Blake pleaded desperately. "Please.. I just need you to talk…"

There was a short pause that made Blake think that Yang simply hung up. "Did I tell you about Coco nearly going to detention today?" Yang started. Blake knew who Coco was but never had spoken to her. "She sits behind Velvet in my math class. They're super close friends from what I know." Yang explained. "Well, Coco noticed a kinda big tear in Velvet's jacket which made her want to fix it. But instead of just asking for it after school, Coco just pulled out her sewing kit that she just apparently always has and started sewing it up in the middle of class while Velvet was still wearing it. The teacher noticed and tried to tell her to pay attention but Coco was just all, 'shh, shh. Just keep teaching and don't mind me.' Mrs. Heart started looking so pissed, but Coco just kept ignoring her until she was done. She might have actually sent Coco to detention if poor Velvet hadn't been so embarrassed by being a part of it." Yang softly laughed to herself. "I knew Coco was a bit of a fashion queen but I thought it stopped at that. Turns out she's got, like, a whole miniature studio going on in her room. Sewing machine, reels of fabric, and what I think would be a very creepy mannequin. She wanted to show me a picture but mannequins are super weird to me so I talked her out of it." Yang's voice was slowly calming Blake's mind. The heavy feeling in her chest was disappearing and being replaced with a comfortable warmness. "She told me how Velvet models her experimental work for her. Coco always looks fashionable so I bet whatever she comes up with looks amazing. I'm thinking maybe I should model for her just so I can wear stuff like she wears all the time. How about that, Blake? Want me to be a fashion model for you?" Yang asked, making Blake finally smile.

"That does sound pretty cool." Blake replied, hoping the shake of her voice was gone. "Though I've always been fine with plain old Yang."

Yang's giggle at that response warmed Blake up even more. "True. Though, maybe the occasional fancy Yang wouldn't be all bad." She replied.

"Maybe." Blake said simply.

"Everything okay?" Yang asked quietly.

"I'm doing better. I… just had a bad dream is all." Blake explained. "It woke me up and I just needed to hear your voice…" There was guilt leaking into her explanation.

"Hey," Yang basically whispered. "You know I'm here. If you had said you needed to see me, I would have been there before you could even hang up the phone."

Blake definitely believed her girlfriend. "I don't think my parents would like you showing up at one in the morning." She said.

"Well too bad." Yang quickly said. "I'm here for you, not them."

"Yang…"

"It's true, Blakey."

"I know, Yang." Blake relented. For a minute or two they both were silent, just letting it all sink in.

"Need me to keep talking?" Yang asked.

Blake didn't want to keep Yang awake so late but she couldn't let her go yet. "Could you.. Stay up with me a little bit longer?"

"For as long as you want, Blakey." Yang said quietly.


End file.
